Foodie craze driving restaurant business

Published: Monday, October 8, 2012 at 09:18 AM.

The road to a new culinary experience has not been easy, however, said Mark Elliott, one of the better-known chefs and restaurant owners in the region.

His flagship restaurant, Elliott's on Linden, was started in 2004 in Pinehurst. Two more followed in Southern Pines - the Sly Fox Pub, a gastropub, and Rue 32, a tapas restaurant and wine bar.

Like many of the chefs at independent restaurants, Elliott works 10 to 12 hours a day, doing everything from cooking to watering the plants to visiting farms around the state.

When he opened his first restaurant, he was terrified.

"I was in tears," he said, laughing. "It was nuts. I was definitely under-funded. I took a building off a lot that wasn't even in a town."

Elliott's on Linden started as a lunch-only restaurant but has since grown to become one of the most popular lunch and dinner restaurants in the area. Elliott is also one of several chefs in the region who increasingly are using locally and regionally grown produce, meat and dairy products.

Elliott and Warren Lewis, owner and executive chef at Chef Warren's, also grow some of their own produce. Lewis' crops are grown by his wife, Marianne, in their backyard garden about three blocks from his 60-seat bistro in Southern Pines. Elliott's garden is arranged in container beds in the back lot of his restaurant.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) — Nearly every weekend, Jim and Kay Gumbleton can be found at one of two places.

On Saturday nights, they like to head to 195 American Fusion Cuisine. On Sundays, their standing reservation is at Ashten's, another independently owned restaurant in town.

The Gumbletons are part of a growing number of people looking for dining experiences offered by independent fine-dining restaurants in Moore County.

And restaurateurs are listening.

In the past 10 years, the number of these restaurants has more than doubled in Southern Pines and Pinehurst as more people delve into the foodie craze.

"Obviously, we cater to many, many visitors," said Claire Phillips, director of marketing at the Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen Convention and Visitors Bureau. "There are two groups - the people that know the chains, and those that like to explore."

Phillips said the county's independent restaurants have received more attention from travel writers over the past 10 years, as well.

Many of the restaurants - including 195, Elliott's on Linden, Rhett's, Chef Warren's, Ashten's and the Ironwood Cafe - are making names for themselves outside Moore County, often by word-of-mouth recommendations.

The restaurants have been written up in state and local publications, and some chefs have won regional culinary awards. Ashten's and Elliott's received the state's Best Dish awards in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and Rhett's is a finalist this year.

Even Fayetteville residents regularly make the hourlong drive for the experience, according to the chefs.

Why is such a small community gaining so much attention for its relatively large food scene?

The answer comes down to the people and talent involved, as well as long hours of hard work and commitment, said Tim Parrish, food service marketing specialist for the state's Best Dish competition.

Parrish said he has watched independent restaurant culture in Moore County grow in the past few years into a food scene similar - if smaller - to those in Charlotte and Asheville.

"You've got some really good, talented chefs in that region," Parrish said of Moore County. "They're all kind of playing off each other's talents, and it's getting noticed."

One of those talents, Parrish said, is the focus on cooking with fresh food grown in the state.

Phillips, with the convention and visitors bureau, agreed.

"The area attracts entrepreneurs," she said. "It's a great place to live, with a good quality of life. You get the big-city offerings without the big-city problems."

On any given night, dishes served in the county can include 195's fusion of Indian, Asian and Mexican fare; Elliott's pork chops with pear and blue cheese stuffing; Chef Warren's marinated bison steak with spicy cheese fries; and Ashten's grilled crispy roasted duck over spring pea risotto and local baby carrots with a duck jus reduction.

Prices can be higher than those of some chain restaurants, with entrees ranging from about $18 to $35 or $40. Still, diners are often won over by the quality of the food, service and atmosphere.

The current culinary scene was not always the norm, said Jay Romans, a Pinehurst resident and self-described foodie who was sipping a glass of chardonnay at 195 on a recent evening.

Romans, who retired as an upper-level executive for a large corporation, and his wife, Lucy, recently moved to the village after living in Houston and several other metropolitan U.S. cities.

The couple had been coming to Pinehurst since 1996, long before they decided to retire there.

Back then, restaurant options were "very limited," said Romans, with a laugh. But that has changed, he said.

"There's two or three restaurants in town that are on par with anything you'd ever see in New York, Charlotte or Atlanta," he said. "It's funny, when I bring friends from New York or Chicago, they are pretty impressed with the restaurants I bring them to."

That's important, Romans said, because the people who move to the region have become increasingly picky about food and the dining experience.

That can include everything from the familiarity of the staff to adventurous cuisine and a good wine list, he said.

While chain restaurants can be good, they don't always offer the same touches as the independents, he said.

"There's nothing wrong with chains," he said. "Chains are there to turn the tables."

The road to a new culinary experience has not been easy, however, said Mark Elliott, one of the better-known chefs and restaurant owners in the region.

His flagship restaurant, Elliott's on Linden, was started in 2004 in Pinehurst. Two more followed in Southern Pines - the Sly Fox Pub, a gastropub, and Rue 32, a tapas restaurant and wine bar.

Like many of the chefs at independent restaurants, Elliott works 10 to 12 hours a day, doing everything from cooking to watering the plants to visiting farms around the state.

When he opened his first restaurant, he was terrified.

"I was in tears," he said, laughing. "It was nuts. I was definitely under-funded. I took a building off a lot that wasn't even in a town."

Elliott's on Linden started as a lunch-only restaurant but has since grown to become one of the most popular lunch and dinner restaurants in the area. Elliott is also one of several chefs in the region who increasingly are using locally and regionally grown produce, meat and dairy products.

Elliott and Warren Lewis, owner and executive chef at Chef Warren's, also grow some of their own produce. Lewis' crops are grown by his wife, Marianne, in their backyard garden about three blocks from his 60-seat bistro in Southern Pines. Elliott's garden is arranged in container beds in the back lot of his restaurant.

Lewis said about 60 percent of his wife's produce is used on his menu, which changes daily.

"A lot of the chefs are in the business to nurture people," Lewis said.

Elliott's garden is still in its early stages, but this year, he's been able to produce tomatoes, lettuce, kale, herbs, eggplant and bell peppers, to name a few. He maintains a few hives of bees for pollinating the plants.

Some of the plants are grown in pots that are placed as table centerpieces in the restaurant until they're ready to be planted.

Elliott said showing the connection from garden to table is important to him and many of his diners, who are interested in knowing about the origin of the food they're eating.

"I could say it's about saving money on tomatoes, but it's not that," he said. "It's great, but it's the value of seeing the chefs' faces and the guests' faces and letting them hear the story of the food. It's not just about owning a restaurant; it's about keeping it interesting."

Elliott said he attributes the growth of independently owned restaurants in the area to the demand from food-savvy consumers.

"Since 2000, we've had a constant feed on TV of cooking shows," he said. "The palate has changed. The average diner's knowledge of food has grown."

But it's the experience that keeps them coming back, he said.

"Independent restaurants offer the best value going," he said. "There's more heart and soul going into it. We'll put it on the line every single day. There's a passion that goes into it."

"People like it," he said. "They know they're not going to get a basic, in-a-box product."

Morris said the customer base for independents - especially those who cook with local foods - is growing steadily.

"Several people are comparing us to a little Charleston," he said. "I just think people want to eat healthier. I want to make sure that the quality is there."

Keeping up the pace of operating an independent restaurant can be difficult, the chefs said.

Last year, Prem Nath, executive chef at 195 in Southern Pines, fell off the roof of his house and passed on a trip to the hospital. Instead, he was taken by ambulance to his restaurant. He had broken and bruised several ribs, but Nath did not want to leave the kitchen without a head chef.

Nath, who is originally from India, said he feels so strongly about maintaining the highest standards that he closes the restaurant for a few weeks during his annual trip to India.

"I want to make them feel comfortable," Nath said of his customers. "I give them more stress? I have no right to do that."

Another difficulty of operating an independent restaurant is recruiting staff, Nath said. Finding good employees who want to work long hours in a hot kitchen is tough to do these days, he said.

But that's exactly how Nath learned to cook, he said. Lacking money for culinary school, Nath went from chef to chef in New York City, asking to be taught. He worked with acclaimed celebrity chef Bobby Flay for several years.

Now, Nath's cooking has brought him fans of his own, such as Jim and Kay Gumbleton.

"He's very quiet, and he does his job," said Kay Gumbleton. "He makes sure everybody else is doing their job, too."

Elliott said most of the independents in the area have a similar work ethic, but going it alone can be hard. Last year, he sent a letter to all the owners and chefs of independent restaurants to see if they could form an association that could help them increase their customer base.

Elliott said he has not followed up since his letter. He and the other chefs tend to get pretty busy, he said. But, hopefully, they can figure something out, he said.

"We are symbiotic in what we do," he said. "We're all local operators that are doing something interesting with food."

Like many of his peers, Elliott does not see himself in competition with them or chain restaurants.

"I think we share the same market," he said. "The diner is pretty sophisticated, but they've predetermined what restaurant they're going to. It's about getting our group of supporters to expand."

And in the end, he said, the passion they feel for the job will continue to increase their audience.

"It's a lifestyle," Elliott said. "You've seen the gardens, the menus, the employees. Every day, it keeps us going. I'm driven by food. I love watching it grow. I love the connection."